Start Gunnar Helm over Kenyon Sadiq — Week 1 Start/Sit Verdict

Start Helm — the availability and projection edges are too wide to ignore.

Gunnar Helm is the healthier side of this call (Sadiq carries a Questionable tag) and projects 7.5 to Sadiq's 5.1. Sadiq's edge is the consensus rank, TE20 to TE23. The gap is comfortable.

Gunnar Helm

TE23TENvs NYJ

4.25.87.5 Projected Points

Toss-Up

Kenyon Sadiq

TE20NYJvs TEN

3.04.05.1 Projected Points

Sit· medium

Why Gunnar Helm

Toss-Up

Starting TE and volume underneath target. Reliable seam and checkdown option with developing in-line blocking.

Toss-up — TE23 by consensus and projection: 11% target share in 2025, 7.5 PPR projected vs NYJ.

NYJ ranks 20 of 32 against TEs (a middle-of-the-road matchup, 0-game sample).
Vegas implies 21.3 team points as 3.0-point favorites.
Listed TE on the latest depth chart with a 53% snap share in 2025.

Why Kenyon Sadiq

Sit· medium

Rookie TE2 with athletic movement traits. Seam-stretching move piece behind the starter; blocking still developing.

TE20 at 5.1 projected points with a Questionable tag and just an 18.3 implied team total — not enough volume or certainty for a 12-team TE slot.

Carries a Questionable tag — usually plays, but monitor the final report.
TEN ranks 18 of 32 against TEs (a middle-of-the-road matchup, 0-game sample).
Vegas implies 18.3 team points as 3.0-point underdogs.
Listed TE on the latest depth chart.

The call

5.1 projected points and a TE20 consensus rank put him at the back of the startable tier; a healthy TE with a defined role is the better play.
The Questionable designation adds real snap-count risk on top of an already modest projection — you may not know his workload until inactives.
An 18.3 implied team total as a 3-point underdog caps the touchdown equity, and Tennessee grades middle-of-the-pack (18 of 32) against the position, so there's no matchup boost to chase.
Tip: if he's upgraded to full participation and the offense's target tree thins out, he becomes a desperation streamer — not before.

Latest on Sadiq

Status

Kenyon Sadiq returned to position drills Monday after nearly a month away.

Rookies Kenyon Sadiq and D'Angelo Ponds Are Almost Ready for Takeoff newyorkjets.com · Sep 2, 2026

Head-to-head stats

Metric	Gunnar Helm	Kenyon Sadiq
Projected points	4.25.87.5	3.04.05.1
Consensus rank	TE23	TE20
Opponent vs position	NYJ · 20 of 320-game sample	TEN · 18 of 320-game sample
Receptions	17 of 32	17 of 32
Receiving Yards	17 of 32	19 of 32
Receiving TDs	26 of 32	21 of 32
Targets	16 of 32	14 of 32
Anytime TD	26 of 32	20 of 32
Target share	11%(2025)	—
Reception share	14%(2025)	—
Implied total · spread	21.3-3.0	18.3+3.0
Depth chart	TE1	TE2
Snap share	53%(2025)	—
Injury designation	—	Questionable